Chorleywood girl flies the UK flag in low-vision song contest

An 11-year-old girl who is blind and has a brain tumour has been chosen to represent the UK in the International Low-Vision Song Contest.

Betsy Griffin, from Chorleywood, Hertfordshire, has flown to Berlin to take part in the competition today.

She said she was “very overjoyed” when her mother told her she had won the race to be the UK entry.

Betsy wrote her song, I Won’t Let This Simple Curse Get Me Down, a few years ago as a way to get all her “frustrations out about me having a brain tumour”, which she was diagnosed with when she was two.

She does not “read” music – although she is learning music braille – and does it all by ear.

Betsy said she had always loved music and it had helped her connect with her family, and “all the time I sit at the piano and come up with tunes”.

She entered the competition, which has contestants from 25 countries, after receiving an email from the charity Look, which she is involved with.

Although she has performed “quite a few times on stage”, Betsy has never been abroad before, and she said she was looking forward to spending time with her dad and “having some apple strudel”.

Betsy’s dad Stuart, 43, said her family were very excited and looking forward to the event – and whatever happened, they were very proud of her.

He said her song was about raising awareness around blind people and showing that “just because you’re blind, it doesn’t stop you being creative”.

He added: “It’s also raising awareness around brain tumours, and there’s a lot of work to be done on awareness and a lack of funding for brain tumours.”

Voting in the contest takes place at about 21:30 BST today.

Last year, Betsy won the BBC Three Counties Radio (3CR) Make a Difference bravery award for her YouTube channel, Betsy’s Positive Videos.